The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-07-26
THE NATIONAL GAME.
Experience Of an Amateur Under
the New Rules.

went out on Monday to zee a game
Iof the newly-revised baseball at the
! Poo Grounds. went at the instance
of Trenor, who solemnly assured me
that an intimate knowledge of base
Bal was vital to any one who desired
TO comprehend serious questions of po-
Gtcal economy. He wantedm honest
opinion of the new rules. AS / was
totally unacquainted with the old rules,
it can be seen that l approached the
revised game absolutely without bias
The first time 1 ever played base
ball was pitcher in the Junior Giants
at college. The Juniors were to play
apractice match with the Senior Giants
that day, and as the two regular pitch
ers and both substitutes were still in
the hospital resting from the game
\ played the previous week, was called
upon to serve. Iserved one inning: /
made the one brilliant play. stopping
q swift ball with the lowest button on
my vest and then, being somewhat
tired and out of breath, / went to the
IL,
Their interest in the game.
i am free to confess do not like the
new rules. There is too little blood
shed allowed, and the spectator sell
dom gets his moneys worth except by
accident There were only four play
ers permanently disabled on Monday,
and but nine spectators, including my
self, crippled for life. admit taking
sudden and deep interest in this last
incident, but up to that time the game
was painfully monotonous.
Ten years ago, when some ingenious
assassin invented the underhand throw,
On immense amount of journalistic
comment was excited, for the reporters
box was purposely put Immediately be-
hind the catcher, and when the pitcher
failed to slay that lodging gentleman
the ball was almost sure to create q
vacancy in the city department of some
powerful journal and stimulate the
junior ranks of the profession. A year
later the "curve" was invented. where
by skillful pitcher could twist ball
completely around his baffied opponent
1t the bat, strike a tangent and smite
the umpire in the cara feat always
ielighting the spectators. A combina-
ion of these systems was then intro
iuced, and the trained destroyer was
.nabled to either drive the ball through
double thickness of his own team.
serforate the batter, cut a swath in the
rand stand or execute the umpire, as
e pleased; and as he generally pleased,
he game became a marvel of beauty
nd excitement, and left nothing to be
esired but increased accommodations
tthe morgue.
Unfortunately, this delightful free
ON with life and limb in the National
anne had its drawbacks. 1t was soon
iscovered by the managers of the
eague that although umpires were of
earthly value while living and in
salth, they were costly while in a
angled condition, and left avaricious
idows, who took the narrow-minded
ew th.t nothing less than five
ousand dollars would settle the
u Sometimes, too, the brutal
preference of the police was
rried to the extent of removing
pitcher to Jail, where the sordid
thor1ties kept him until mob of his
mirers enforced his release. So,
!. in the opinion'of the frugal League
nagers, the destruction of spectators,
ich occurred from time to time when
itcher was careless or trying to be
ny, was injurious, as the constant
loval of dead bodies from the first
distracted the attention of thought
spectators: from the more serious
ITS in the game, Then again, when
tcher had manned or killed player
he opposite nine by good shot, the
erse pitcher, when his turn came,
Id consider retaliation 3 duty, and
etimes there would not be four left
side for the last innings, which
rfered with the score. These con-
rations-paltry, perhaps, but pru-
led to the revision of the pitchers
rods and now he ia limited To the